Australia's political leaders kicked off their election campaigns today with eyes firmly on global security, and scrambling to match each other's promises of tighter borders in the wake of the US attacks.
Prime Minister John Howard, written off months ago as an has-been, has roared back to life following the September 11th attacks, pledging firm support for Washington and tighter borders at home.
The global focus on war and fear of attack has bolstered Howard's tough stand against mostly Muslim illegal immigrants, with voters applauding his decision to bar boatloads of Afghan and Iraqi asylum seekers from Australian waters.
While the centre-left Labour opposition is desperate to shift the agenda to health and education policies - seen as stronger Labour ground - Mr Howard has seized the global uncertainty as a political life-saver as he tries for a third term. Just a day after pledging troops in support of Washington's war on terrorism, Mr Howard called a November 10th general election.
"It is important for me to re-emphasise how determined this government is to maintain not only the integrity of our immigration programme, but also the integrity of our border protection system," Mr Howard said.
The government's decision in August to refuse entry to the Tampa, a freighter which picked up more than 400 illegal immigrants from a sinking ferry, came up time and again as Mr Howard shook hands on the suburban street outside his campaign office.
Mr Howard, the Tampa- your finest hour, one man enthused. A family of Indian immigrants was equally supportive. "They have to be stopped or it will get out of control," Mr Santdas Vaswani told Reuters as he waited to greet Mr Howard.
On the other side of Australia's biggest city, Labour leader Kim Beazley struggled to shore up his own security credentials, pledging a four-year A98million (euro 60 million) package directed against illegal immigrants and terrorists.
His initiatives included a new coastguard to patrol the coast for ‘boatpeople’, an anti-terrorist unit and a new ministry of home affairs.
"No one seriously questions the need to confront the new threats to our national security and fight global terrorism," Mr Beazley told a news conference.
Newspapers have dubbed the election race a khaki campaign, fought in the shadow of a looming war. The sobriquet promises to bolster an increasingly statesman-like prime minister already well known for his political comebacks.
Bookmakers have made Mr Howard (62) the favourite to win. But analysts and voters alike say the campaign could turn quickly if war talk cools and focus shifts to domestic concerns.
"I give more credit to Australians than that and think the real issues will eventually come up in this campaign," Labour supporter Mr Michael Deeth, a self-employed gardener, told Reuters.